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EU: Another domino falls as Hollande pushes France into depression
The Telegraph ^ | 9/30/2012 | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Posted on 09/30/2012 1:44:36 PM PDT by bruinbirdman

If French President François Hollande thinks he can assuage the bond markets by dishing out tax-heavy austerity instead of genuine reform, he has been given very bad advice.

His tragically-misguided budget offers no strategic plan to reverse -- or even to stop -- thirty years of slow national decline. He offers no worthwhile measures to slim the Leviathan state, now a Nordic-sized 55pc of GDP, without Nordic labour flexibility or Nordic free markets.

He does not tell us how he will stem the slide in France’s share of eurozone exports over the last decade, down from 17pc to 13pc, or what he will do about the disastrous swing in France’s trade balance from a surplus of 2.5pc of GDP to a deficit of 2.4pc since 1999.

He proposes nothing credible to restore France’s viability within EMU, or to stop public debt spiralling beyond 90pc of GDP. Instead he has served up the most drastic retrenchment in forty years, at the worst possible time, and in the worst possible way. And markets are supposed to applaud?

The budget will tighten discretionary fiscal policy by 2pc of GDP next year into the teeth of deepening depression, without offsetting monetary stimulus or exchange rate relief.

Mr Hollande likes to quote Leon Blum, the Popular Front leader of the interwar years. The reality could hardly be more cruel. He is replicating the disastrous deflation policies of Labour Chancellor Snowden in 1931, before the Labour Party woke up to the delicious possibility that you could lift two fingers to the forces of reaction and leave the Gold Standard.

Worse yet, he is perilously close to re-enacting the desperate deflation decrees of Pierre Laval -- an ex-Socialist dreamer, pacifist, and utopian who lost his way, and ultimately cleaved too closely to foreign

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: eu; france; hollande
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1 posted on 09/30/2012 1:44:41 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
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To: bruinbirdman

Hollande.....

“Let them eat cake!”

“That didn’t work out so good last time.”

“Oh....then let them eat croissants.”


2 posted on 09/30/2012 1:48:11 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: bruinbirdman

Le ha ha!


3 posted on 09/30/2012 1:54:39 PM PDT by Huskrrrr
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To: blueunicorn6

4 posted on 09/30/2012 2:01:14 PM PDT by Viennacon
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To: bruinbirdman

another elections have consequences moment


5 posted on 09/30/2012 2:03:07 PM PDT by xp38
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To: bruinbirdman
75% tax rate will do that to an economy. Dumbasses.

Coming next to America if Obama gets re-elected, you can bank on that.

6 posted on 09/30/2012 2:05:29 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: bruinbirdman

http://asspos.blogspot.com/2012/09/europeans-protesting-budget-cuts.html

Euro protesters demand Skittle-pooping unicorns!


7 posted on 09/30/2012 2:06:05 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: usconservative

Will bring economic activity to a screeching halt except for the last panic buying as shelves go empty


8 posted on 09/30/2012 2:10:44 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: bruinbirdman

I could care less about most French save the wine makers. Being tied to the land, wineries will not be able to flee the country and taxing them at 75% does not portend well for future prices or quality. Of course it will be a boone for Oregon pinots and California Cabs when the frogs drive down production in Burgundy and Bordeaux.


9 posted on 09/30/2012 2:11:12 PM PDT by RightOnTheBorder
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To: blueunicorn6

“Let them have FREE cell phones!”


10 posted on 09/30/2012 2:17:44 PM PDT by Mark (Don't argue with my posts. I typed while under sniper fire.)
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To: bruinbirdman

Dear Barack,
Your advice to me is not working! Whatsup wit dat?

Your friend,
François


11 posted on 09/30/2012 2:20:28 PM PDT by Mark (Don't argue with my posts. I typed while under sniper fire.)
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To: RightOnTheBorder

I hear Argentinian and Australian wines are decent.


12 posted on 09/30/2012 2:22:32 PM PDT by EEGator
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To: bruinbirdman
the Leviathan state, now a Nordic-sized 55pc of GDP...

As opposed to the Mother-of-All-Godzilla-sized Leviathan states, the Massive-sized 103pc of GDP currently here in the USA.

13 posted on 09/30/2012 2:29:50 PM PDT by C210N ("ask not what the candidate can do for you, ask what you can do for the candidate" (Breitbart, 2012))
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To: Mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNG068z9FYk OOo-BAA-Ma Phones!


14 posted on 09/30/2012 2:44:49 PM PDT by nomad
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To: Cincinna

Gallic Ping.


15 posted on 09/30/2012 2:46:15 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: bruinbirdman

The liberals are collapsing western economies while the islamists unify and prepare for war.

This is pre-planned.


16 posted on 09/30/2012 2:50:10 PM PDT by Erik Latranyi (When religions have to beg the gov't for a waiver, we are already under socialism.)
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To: bruinbirdman

Seventy-five-percent socialist tax rates may be bringing the French economy to its knees, as expected. However, on the bright side, Parisian students haven’t brought their city to its usual state of mass chaos this year with weeklong citywide rallies demanding the overthrow of the current socialist government.

But unless it’s overthrown soon, the only place an average French citizen will be able to afford a decent meal will be at MacDonald’s.


17 posted on 09/30/2012 2:51:47 PM PDT by Bluestocking
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To: Bluestocking

That is....if the Obamas don’t manage to outlaw fast food restaurants. It looks like that is a distinct possibility if they cheat their way to another term.


18 posted on 09/30/2012 3:25:48 PM PDT by XenaLee (The only good commie is a dead commie.)
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To: Erik Latranyi

What about China?


19 posted on 09/30/2012 3:34:05 PM PDT by palmer (Jim, please bill me 50 cents for this completely useless post)
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To: usconservative

When the French get riled up, they go communist or fascist rather than the usual “moderate” nosey, oppressive and controlling p.c. socialist. It’s bloody and fail time in France.

The Leftists here so badly want their own bloody French revolution or “American Spring.” Gov. Brown is releasing prisoners who were convicted as yutes (gang members). Is the old Marxist trying to kickstart a great Frenchy riot in California?


20 posted on 09/30/2012 4:07:06 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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